Real-World 3D Scanning Demonstrations Fascinate SPAR Europe 2011 Attendees

SPAR Europe kicked off 7 November with a pre-conference tutorial, a meeting hosted by FIATECH, and a tour of the Netherlands Forensics Institute’s CSI lab. The conference concluded 9 November with more live demonstrations, presentations of the demonstration results, conference sessions, exhibits and networking time.

Live demonstrations included:
Staged murder scene
Portable scanning demonstration
Roadway accident scene
Scanning the Gemeentemuseum
Boiler Room scanning
Underwater scanning demo
Long range scanning
Bullet hole scanning demo
Mobile scanning and mapping demonstrations

Tom Greaves, Managing Director of SPAR Europe, said the demonstrations were very popular. “Participants appreciated the opportunity to see and test technologies, ask questions, share challenges and come away with new skills and proven techniques.” He said that suppliers were very supportive of the demonstrations, too. “They were eager to show off their solutions by putting them through their paces in real-life scenarios.” Suppliers participating in the demos included FARO, FIT-ESIC/Dimeye, Dr. Christian Hesse, Leica Geosystems, M3DM, Mantis Vision, Maptec, MDL, RIEGL, Spheron, StreetMapper, Topcon, Trimble, Unison, Valentin Vanhecke, Z+F.

Demo results were shared by suppliers in 10-minute blocks on 9 November, allowing attendees to see and compare results. “This was our first time offering live demonstrations but it won’t be the last,” said Greaves. “The best learning is by doing, seeing, trying, testing.” He added that he’s gotten a few new ideas for demonstrations for next year’s event, taking place 12-14 November 2012 at the World Forum.

Complete SPAR Europe coverage can be found at www.SPARPointGroup.com.

About SPAR Point Group and Diversified Business Communications
SPAR Point Group investigates and reports on 3D scanning, imaging and position capture technologies used to improve the productivity, quality, safety and risk profile of engineering, fabrication, construction and manufacturing operations. Wholly-owned by Diversified Business Communications, the company's annual SPAR conferences in the United States, Europe and Japan attract project managers, engineering and technical leads, industrial metrologists and surveyors, security and law enforcement professionals and experts in historic preservation and documentation. The events showcase new data capture and processing technologies used for 3D surveying and dimensional control for work on offshore platforms, nuclear power plant modifications, refinery revamps, discrete and process manufacturing, transportation, building and civil infrastructure projects, historic preservation as well as forensic investigations and security planning.

Diversified Business Communications, based in Portland, Maine, USA, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, magazine publishing, and online resources on four continents. Diversified serves a number of industries including technology, commercial marine, oil and gas, and building and construction. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: www.divbusiness.com.